


Reasonable Doubt

by Rosada



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Gen, Mentions of homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosada/pseuds/Rosada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles decides that it’s time he shared some important information with the Sheriff. It’s just that the only thing harder than keeping a secret is actually sharing it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reasonable Doubt

"Okay, Stiles. You can do this, buddy. You have so got this. You’re just going to walk in there and tell him, and you’re gonna make him believe it, and everything’s going to be fine.” Yet even the Stiles in the mirror didn’t look that convincing while giving himself a pep-talk. Still just a pale, slightly-bigger-than-scrawny teenager staring at himself and trying not to wring his hands. Or chew the skin off the sides of his fingers because maybe he used to do that, but honestly, it is unbelievably gross to think about now. He starts going down the road of mentally listing all his habits, disgusting and not, before yanking himself back into the present with a frustrated noise. _Damn it, brain, we are trying to do something here!_

_We are trying to go downstairs and tell our Republican father, Sheriff of the town of Beacon Hills and only remaining parent that we are bisexual._

 

Oh god, why did he ever think that this was a good idea?

He’s chewing on his fingers now, and slaps them down against the countertop angrily. Why does this have to be so difficult? Couldn’t he just march down there and say it out loud? He can admit it to himself, so shouldn’t he be able to admit it to his father, the man with which he has eventually shared the majority of life secrets with? It was his dad, for goodness sakes. Dad taught him how to throw and catch a baseball in the backyard when he was six, despite the glove being three sizes too big for Stiles and his young body lacking the coordination to catch it more than once out of every ten throws. Dad was the one that taught him how to shave his head the first time, sighing solemnly and holding the buzzing razor steady with his calloused hand so Stiles wouldn’t nick his own scalp. Dad gave him his first beer when he was fourteen so that he would understand that no, this crap isn’t all that tasty or fun and won’t make you cool but it won’t kill you either, Dad listened to him ramble for hours about how beautiful Lydia Martin’s hair was in the sunlight and paid for his online gaming memberships, Dad bought him his beloved blue Jeep and didn’t even make Stiles do extra chores to earn it. They drove along in the car and he listened to Stiles rant about how important vague historical events were in the grand scheme of things, it was his father who helped him assemble the various pieces of his science fair project during freshman year. It was Dad who smiled along brightly with Stiles in the picture they hung on the Christmas tree every year despite having worked the late shift the night before, arresting someone for armed robbery.

You could fill a book with all the proof that Stiles’ dad loved him until the ends of the earth and back, and yet Stiles was still standing in here, somewhere between laughter and sobs, wishing that this could be easier. That this could be different. That he hadn’t realized that the reason he spent so much time hung up on Lydia was because he _wanted_ to be in love with her and not because he was. After everything, after all of his life and all that he’s put up with in the past year and perhaps longer, Stiles wants to be normal. Maybe not a white-picket fence house with two-point-five kids and a hollow laugh track normal, but _normal_. He’s not though, he’s the weirdo that kept _Howl_ three months overdue because he was afraid to read more of Alan Ginsberg opening up a little parcel of his soul that he had been hiding away, he’s the one who has tried and failed to ask Danny how it went and what he said a thousand and one times until he literally stalked the guy down after school and almost cried because he’d never said it out loud before. Danny had just looked at him, looked right into the part of Stiles that was just seeing the light for the first time and hugged him, telling him it would be okay.

Back in the bathroom, Stiles realizes his knuckles are white on the edge of the sink. It’s just like throwing up, he realizes. At first you don’t want to because it’s disgusting and terrifying, even painful, but after you do you’ll feel so much better and wonder why you ever held it in the first place. Even if his dad were to yell at him, to rage and throw things and call Stiles names, throw him out of the house and onto his ass in the middle of the big wide world, Stiles would be okay with it. His dad would know, and Stiles could survive. That would be the first thing that mattered, right? It wasn’t like he’d not given some hints; he’d asked his dad about homosexuality and bisexuality before, and though his dad looked like he had no idea what he was supposed to be saying, he’d never expressed any outright distaste. 

 

Every time he asked his dad if he loved him, the Sheriff would always say “Of course” and squeeze his arm just like dads are supposed to do.

So Stiles walked out of the bathroom, _you’re going to be okay_ , down the stairs, _he’s one of your best friends_ , to where his dad was sitting, _you can do this_ , and opened his mouth. _He loves you_.

 

"Dad, can we talk?"

**Author's Note:**

> I really, really wanted to write something about Stiles coming out to his father/being scared to come out. I remember trying to work up the nerve to tell my own family, and even though they are beautifully accepting it was a hell of a struggle for me. I think Stiles would feel much the same way, whether or not they actually ever address it in canon. (Also, the Sheriff's reaction is purposefully vague and up to the reader.)


End file.
